Sea Kayaking 102, Sea Kayak Boat Handling intro.

Description

Sea Kayak Boat Handling intro.

Balancing your kayak on edge is a critical skill for effective turning, steering straight in wind, and dealing with rough water conditions, but in order to paddle with your boat on edge you need to feel confident that you won't capsize if you loose your balance. This confidence comes from learning effective bracing strokes. In this class you'll be introduced to the high and low brace for balance and the two kinds of hip snap used for them. You'll also learn how to move your kayak sideways in order to raft up with others and how you can tow another kayak to deal with numerous safety problems.

Students who are interested in learning to roll will be given drills to prepare for taking a rolling lesson (kayak rolling is not taught in this class, but this class will build the fundamentals needed to learn it).

This course builds on the fundamentals taught in our SK101 class with some review of the strokes you learned there and moves on to more advanced skills that will give you the full quiver of strokes we teach in our SK111 course. This course will also improve your forward stroke efficiency and speed through a deeper understanding good posture, healthy wrist positioning and utilizing your core in concert with the paddle blade to power your kayak forward.

If you are already comfortable practicing capsizes, wet exits, and reentry rescues, you have a choice between this one day class or going directly into our two-day Sea Kayaking Part 1 SK111 Paddling Strokes & Rescue Techniques course or SK 115 Five-Day Kayak Training Camp -- both of these courses include kayak roll training which the SK101 and SK102 do not.

After completing this course, students generally feel comfortable paddling on small lakes and sheltered, non-moving waters in light winds and/or progressing onto our more comprehensive SK111 Paddling Strokes & Rescue Techniques course or SK 115 Five-Day Kayak Training Camp. And we have a bonus for those who continue in our lesson progression,$50 of your SK102 tuition may be used as a credit toward our SK111 Paddling Strokes & Rescue Techniques or SK 115 Five-Day Kayak Training Camp lesson.

Details

Location:Tibbett's Beach, Lake Sammamish State Park (map)Duration: 6 hours, typically on a Saturday or SundayClass Size: 5 maximum with 5 to 1 student/instructor ratio maximum Tuition: $190 (includes free use of dry suits, booties, and scull caps) -- $50 of this tuition may be used as credit toward SK111 or SK 115Dry Suit Rental: No Charge - Included with tuitionKayak Rental: $30.00 plus tax, delivered to the lesson. Make Rental Reservation (14'-16' Roto-molded Beginner's Touring Kayak, Paddle, PFD, Spray Skirt, Bilge Pump, Self-Rescue Paddle Float, Sponge). Parking: A Washington State Discover Pass ($30/yr.) or $10 Day Use Fee is required to drive into the State Park. Passes may be purchased from machine at park entrance or on-line at:Buy Discover Pass On-line

Prerequisites: SK 101 or equivalent training with approval. If the only kayak lessons you've had were from REI you'll need our SK101 before enrolling in this lesson. WKC and Mountaineer sea kayak students are welcome.